Feeder and strike-off device for cement blocks.



G. W. KRAMER. 7 FEEDER AND STRIKE-OFF DEVI'CEFO'R CEMENT BLOCKS.

, APPLICATION FILED JAN.13, I913. i

1,184,356. v Patented May 23,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

e. w. KRAMER. FEEDER AND STRIKE-OFF DEVICE FOR CEMENT' BLOCK S.

APPLICATION men JAN.13, i913.

I PatentedMay23,1916.

Mai /1mm UNITED STAEg PATENT- @FFIQE.

GEORGE W. KRA'MnR, or PEORIA, ILLINOIS.

Application filed January 13, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WV. KRAMER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Peoria, in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeder and Strike- OffDevices for Cement Blocks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to a selffeeding and troweling orstrike-off device for use in concrete block manufa ture. The. presentinvention has for its object, to provide a device, for use inconnectionwith concretev block tamping machines, which is adapted to receivematerial from a mixer; deliver the material to the block machine ormold, and when. the block is I finished, strike-off and trowel the blockin one operation, accumulating the surplus material struck off, for asubsequent block.

The invention has for a further ob]ect, a 'troweling or strike-oifdevice for concrete block making machines including a revolving member,such as a roller, geared to rotate at considerable speed and preferably,arranged to rotate in a direction opposite to its travel overa block,and capable of strik ing off a block and leaving. a smooth finish,

even though the material is very coarse.

\ My invention is adapted for use in connection with various blockmachines or molds, and particularly in connection with tamping machinessuch as shown in the patents granted to me on January 17th,

1911, numbered 981,928 and 981,929. 7

That the invention may be more fully understood reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevationof myselffeeding and troweling or strike-off device, certain gearing andother instrumentalities for operating the same being omitted and showinga part of a continuous mixer for supplying material tothe device, a partof a block machine or mold and the tampers, the parts. shown in theforward position of their movement; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectionalview of the device, as the same would appear, if taken on the line 22 ofFig. 5, the parts in the same position shown in Fig. 1 and showing theblock machine or mold in section with a concrete block at the completion'of the tamping operation; Fig.

8 is a view similar to Fig. 2, except that the i tampers have beenraised out of position and the device is shown moving backwardSpecification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

Serial No. 741,831.

and the roller .striking off and troweling the concrete block andaccumulating the surplus material for a subsequent block; Fig. 4 is across-section of the device, as the same would appear, if taken on theline H of Fig. 5; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the device, shown in Fig. 1,with the gearing and other lnstrumentalities for operating andcontrolling the same, parts being broken away, and other parts insection; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the, gearing and otherinstrumentalities for operating and controlling the movement of thedevice shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view throughthe gearing, as the same would appear, if taken on the line 77 of Fig.5; Fig. 8 is a cross-section, as the same would appear. if taken on theline 8-8 of Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a cross-section, as the same would appearif taken on the line 9-9 of Fig. 6; Fig. 10 is a rear end view lookingat the right hand end of Fig. 6, and Fig. 11 is a plan view of certainclutch operating means.

Like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout thefigures.

In Fig. 1 the device is shown moved to a forward position deliveringmaterial into the block machine or mold and stopped preparatory to theoperation of the tampers.

The block machine or mold which is only partly shown, is designated A,and may be of any preferred construction, the tampers as B, and may beof any preferred construction, and a continuous mixer. as C, and may beof any preferred construction. This continuous-mixer G is so placed thatit will deliver mixed material direct into the hopper of my troweling or"strike-off device, which in turn delivers the material into the blockmachine or mold, and when the block is finished or has been tamped,strikes ofl' the block and returns the surplus material tothe hopper,thus preventing the surplus material falling from the machine onto thefloor or platform.

.The self-feeding and troweling or strikeoff device proper, includes thestationary hopper part 12 and the movable or traveling feeder portion13, adapted to be mounted or supported in any suitable manner, inconnection with a tamping machine, such for instance as'illustrated inPatent No. 981,928 and any suitable block machine or mold.

The hopper part 12, comprises the side walls 14, the front wall 15 andthe sloping rear wall 16 and these walls at their meet g nsects ingcornersare braced and reinforced bythe angle bars 17. The bottom orsupporting plate for the front, side and rear walls of the hopper isdesignated as 18 and when in operative relation with the block machineor mold A is secured thereto as at 19. The

I the length of the hopper 12; said plates 21 lie between the hopper andadjacent to the inside faces of the side walls 14 of the hopper, seeFig. 4 and movable through the hopper. The front wall 15 of the hopperstops short of the upper edges of the plates 21, see Fig. 2 and the rearsloping wall 16 of the hopper is cut away, as at 22, see Fig.

. 4 to allow the plates 21 to travelback and forth The side walls 14 ofthe hopper serve as guiding means for the plates 21 in conjunction withthe angle bars or brace members 23, extending the length of the plates21, see Figs. 1 and 4. Said angle bars or,

brace members 23 are preferably spaced from and secured at theiropposite ends to the plates 21 through interposed members 24, see Figs.1 and 5, so as to provide space between the angle bars 23 and the plates21' to allow for the travel of the plates 21 and to guide the same, theside walls 14 of the hopper fitting in said spaces. The plates 21 areconnected at their forward ends byfthe cross-heador front wall25, bracedand reinforced at the corners by the angle bars 26.

The hopper 12 has a false bottom, consisting of the plate 26 removed asuitable distance above the bottom or supporting plate 18 and extendingbetween and secured to the side plates 21 of the movable feeder13,-through the medium of the longitudinal angle bars or reinforcingplates 27. The bottom 26 is movable with the feeder 13 for the bottomofthehopper 12 when the feeder is advanced and when the feeder isretracted moves to a position to allow the material deposited in thehopper proper, to fall down onto thestationary bottom or supportingplate 18. The false bottom 26 has a front wall 28, see Figs. 2 and 3,and the space in the feeder 13 between the front wall 28 and the frontend of the feeder, or

' strike-off or troweling device, to be described, provides an openingthrough the feeder, through which the material is discharged from thefeeder into the block machine or mold A, therebeneath, when the feederhas moved with [such opening therein into coincidence with said blockmachine or mold A. The front wall 28 at the corners is braced orreinforced by the angle bars 29.

The position of the front wall 28 from the front end ofthe feeder, or.strike-off or troweling device,to be described, determines to acertain'extent, the quantity of material to be discharged from thefeeder into the "block machine or mold, and .said frontzwall' 28 andfalse bottom 26 may be adjustableor substitutes provided therefor, asmay be desirable.

The strike-0H or troweling device, includes the roller '30, located atthe forward end of the feeder 12 and extending transafter a blockforming operatiomthe roller- 30 will strike off the block and leave asmooth surface, see Fig.3. A shield '32 covers the upper surface of theroller 30, and is attached or secured to the front wall 25 of thefeeder. Shields 33 are also provided to cover the upper edges of theplates 21, these shields being secured to the in-' 'side faces of theside walls 14 of the hopper,

see Figs. 2, 4' and. 5.

The feeder 13 is held from lateral niotion by the side Walls 14 of thehopper and-the bars 23 cooperating therewith, as described,

and to uide and prevent any lifting motion of the eeder, during itstravel, except at a predetermined movement-of said feeder,I I

provide rollers 34 journaled to the outside faces of the side walls 14ofthe hopper, see

Figs. 1 and 5, engaging the upper faces of.

the angles 23, and the rollers 35 journaled .to the outside faces of theside walls 14 of the hopper, see Fig.1, engaging the lower faces of theangles 23.

In the present structure where the bottom or supporting plate 18 issecured to the block machine or mold A, said plate 18 has a slopingsurface 36, see Figs. 2 and 3. As and is of sufficient length to'form aclosure the feeder recedes and as it reaches the end of its backwardmovement, the roller 30 travels up over the sloping surface 36, raisingthe front end of the feeder and the side :plates 21, and to allow forthis movement,

ating the feeder 1'3 and the strike-off or .troweling device 30.

. Attached to the inside faces of the plates 2l,below the false bottom26 and extendinglongitudinally thereof for a suitable distance, are rackbars 38 made integral with or attached to angle bars 39. Meshing withthese rack b ars 38 are gear wheels 40 carried on a drive shaft 41, andoperating through gear 52 or the gear 53 is a clutch member 55' riedthereby in similar directions.

openings 42 in the bottom or supporting plate 18, see Fig. 4. The shaft41 is journaled in boxings 43, secured to the underside of the bottom orsupporting plate 18. It is obvious that if the shaft 41 be rotated inreverse directions it will move the rack bars 38 through the medium ofthe gears 40 in a forwardly and then in a rearwardly direction and movethe feeder 13 and plates car- The shafts 41 and 31, the latter carryingthe strike-off or troweling roller 30, are driven from reversiblegearing which is controlled by certain instrumentalities forintermittently placing such gearing in a neutral position.

Reference being had to Fig. 5 it will be observed that the shaft 31 iscoupled up with a driving shaft 44, and the shaft 41 is coupled up in asimilar manner with a drive shaft 45. Said drive shafts 44 and 45 arejournaled in a suitable frame-work supporting the gearing for operatingthe feeder 13, and such framework may be an independent structure 'or apart of the frame carrying the ,tamping mechanism or the frame of theblock machine or mold. The coupling between the shafts 31 and 44includes the interposed shaft 46 and the knuckle joints 27 to produce aflexible connection and in a like manner the coupling =ried thebifurcated end 59 of an operating member 60. The member 60 is attachedto a 'shiftable rod 61 having abearing in the framework of the machineand connected.

with said operating member 60 is the forward end 62 of an operatorslever 63. It is therefore obvious, that if the shiftable rod 61 is movedeither to the right or. left, it will inturn move the operating member60 in the direction of movement of said rod 61 and place the clutch 55in driving relation with e ther of the gears 52 or 53. The

lever 63 is fulcrumed at 64 to a suitable part' of the frame tofacilitate in the operation of said lever for moving the shiftable rod61 in the manner specified.

The gears 52 and 53 are in constant meshing relation with a beveled gearwheel 65 carried by a short shaft 66, on the outer end .of which is abevel gear wheel 67 meshing with a bevel gear wheel 68 on the drivingshaft 44. This connection from the gear wheels and 53 to the drive shaft54 will operate said shaft 54 in reverse directions, depending of courseon the connection of the clutch 55 with either of said gears 52 or 53.Said gears 52 and 53 are also in constant meshing relation with a bevelgear wheel 69 carried by a short shaft 70, journaled in a suitable partof the frame, and said shaft 70 carries a worm 71 in meshing relationwith a worm wheel 72 on the drive shaft 45. It is obvious that the driveshaft 45 will revolve inopposite directions, depending of course on theconnection of the clutch 55 with either of the beveled The drivingconnection between the main shaft 50 and the shaft 44 is such that saidshaft 44 may be rotated at a considerably greater speed than the shaft45 through its driving connection with said main driving shaft 50. Thisis for the purpose, as will be understood, of rotating the strike-off ortroweling roller 30 very rapidly, while at the same time moving thefeeder 13 at a very slow speed.

gear wheels 52 gear ng described, instrumentalities for antomat callymoving the clutch 55 to a new I have provided in connection with he Ltral position at predetermined intervals, in i the movement of thefeeder 13; said instrumentalities operating preferably at the momentwhen the feeder 13 reaches the limit of its forward movement, beingsubstantially that position shown in Fig. 2; and at the limit of itsrearward movement, being that position when the roller 30 has struck offor troweled a block, or is in a position with the front wall of thefalse bottom 26 far enough back to where the material will pass from thehopper 16, on to the bottom of the supporting plate 18, to be carriedforwardby said front wall 28 during the forward movement of the feeder13 and discharged in the block machine or mold A. The mechanism referredto comprises a pair of disks 73 and 74 secured to the driving shaft 45and placed on opposite sides of the worm wheel 72. To these'two disks 73and 74 are attached corresponding lugs or fingers 75, which arepreferably adjustably connected with the disks and spaced on the disks 73 and 74 to operate alternately upon means to be described forautomaticallv throwing the opcrating or clutch arm 59 at predetermineddisks the lugs or fingers 75 thereon will come into engaging relation.with the lugs or fin gers 79 and move the plates 76 and 77. The plate 76is integral with or has attached thereto a barSO which extendsforward-and has a pivotal connection at 81'with a member 82 connectedwith the lever 63; and the plate 77 is integral with or has attachedthereto'a bar 83 which extends forward and has a pivotal connection at84c with the said member 82. Thus it will be seen that if the lever 63has been moved to place the clutch 55 into'operative relationwith-either of the gears or 53, that the movement of the plate 76,or-the plate 77, by the means de scribed, will automatically throw thelever 63 and the clutch 55 to the neutral position shown in Fig. 8,placing the gears 52 and 53 in an inoperative relation with the maindrive shaft 50. The lugs or fingers 75 on the respective disks 73 and 74are presumed to be adjusted on said disks so that when thefeeder 13reaches the limit ofits forward movement, one of said disks will operateto place the clutch 55 into a neutral position, and in like manner whenthe feeder 13 has been retracted a suitable distance, one of said diskswill operate to move the clutch 55 into a neutral position to stop themovement of the feeder 13. It is intended, that the operator, by meansof the lever 63 shall have control of and place the clutch 55 intooperative engagement with either of the gears 52 or 53 and that thedisks 73 and 74 00-- operating with the plates 76 and 77 willalternately move the clutch 55 to a neutral position. In the presentarrangement, with the clutch 55 in operative engagement with the gear52, the feeder 13 is moved forwardly, and when the clutch 55 is inoperative engagement with the gear 53 the feeder 13 will be movedrearwardly. \Vhen the feeder 13 is moved forwardly, the strike-offoiftroweling roller 30 will be positively rotated in a clockwisedirection and when the feeder 13 is being moved rearwardly saidstrike-off or trow'eling roller 30 will be positively driven in ananti-clockwise direction.

, Reference being had to Figs. 2 and 3, 85 is a swinging valve platepivoted at'86 t0 ad justable hangers 87 suitably secured to the insideof the front wall 15 of the hopper 12.. This valve plate is suspended ina manner to swing inward and upward with; its lower edge normally spaceda short distance above the upper face of the false. bottom 26? in thefeeder 13. This valve plate, to a certain extent limits the quantity ofmaterial which passes with the feeder forwardly to the block machine ormold A, and'when the feeder is moving rearwardly and the roller 30 isstriking off the block it'will swing suffi ciently to allow the surplusmaterial to back up into the hopper 12.

I am aware of manually operated strike devices for concreteblock-machines but with the use ofsuch machines there is considerableloss of material, or if not actual loss, the material struck off fromthe block falls on the floor or platform supporting the machine and thematerial must be rehandled, making the operation slow and tedious. WViththe use of my device such inconveniences and delays are entirelyobviated. Then again, with the use of strike 01f devices heretoforemade,'it has been very difiicult to leave a smooth surface on the blockshould the mixture or material contain any large pebbles or stones,without retroweling the surface of the block. Using a revolublestrike-elf, such as I do, and rotating the Same in a direction reverselyto the travel of the feeder, when the roller comes into con-v tact withthe stone or pebble, it will either forceit down into the mold or throwit up tatable strike-off member connected to said feeder to movetherewith, operating means to reciprocate said feeder and to positivelyrotate said strike-off member, clutch mechanism for controlling saidoperatingmeans and means for automatically disengaging said clutchmechanism when the feeder reaches the limit ofits forward movement andwhenthe feeder reaches the limit of-its rearward movement. g

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

. GEORGE W. KRAMER. Witnesses: FRANK A. HAL

ESTHER KRAMER.

